That's right... if one side is to blame everyone's concerns should be one-sided.

Frankly, you and six are coming across as willing to forgive the most appalling criminality just because those responsible happen to be of your own nationality.

km

And that bias site is the result of this

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"Following the fighting, Afghan officials also confirmed the Taliban fighters loaded two trucks with bodies and forced elders to parade them through villages to incite outrage among villagers," he said.

Frankly, you and six are coming across as willing to forgive the most appalling criminality just because those responsible happen to be of your own nationality.

Your wrong againIt was the Afghan National Defense Force and Coalition forces that called in the air strike

Why do you constantly feel the Taliban can murder anyone more so citizens at well and have full right to do so ? They are not the government of Afghanistan and they are operating from Pakistan , they beat women in public "TORTURE" they shoot men and women in public for small "alleged crimes" like infidelity <<--- you love to back up this travesty therefore are you one of them ? ?

"Following the fighting, Afghan officials also confirmed the Taliban fighters loaded two trucks with bodies and forced elders to parade them through villages to incite outrage among villagers," he said.

That's what Sgt Chuck Marsh said - no one's going to take any notice of his unattrubuted ramblings. What Afghan officials? That's a good example actually of what I meant by propaganda.

it was the Afghan National Defense Force and Coalition forces that called in the air strike

For your information the US Air Force does not accept the command of any foreign agency - those decisions are always made by American personnel.

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Why do you constantly feel the Taliban can murder anyone more so citizens

I don't know whether you read The Independent article I put up but the evidence is becoming overwhelming that the US Air Force killed about 147 civilians including women and children sheltering in mud built houses in three villages. Pilots directed to commit war crimes have a duty to decline their orders or face the consequences.

Given that civilian casualties in Afghanistan are attributable to both sides about equally, I'd say this proposition is without foundation ...

? Your link doesn't say anything about the atrocity at Bala Baluk. In fact it's dated 17 February 2009 long before it even happened. What it does do is express alarm at the rising civilian death toll pointing out that:

"air-strikes were responsible for the largest percentage, some 64 per cent, of civilian deaths... last year."

and demanding that pro government forces

"take all necessary measures to avoid the killing of civilians.”

If your own link can say:

"Afghans are, rightly, calling for greater accountability" by pro-government forces and "precautionary measures to safeguard the lives of civilians"

I'm not entirely clear on why you have a problem when I say it. Greater accountability includes rounding up and prosecuting the suspects. These are very grave crimes - repeating them time and time again and doing nothing about it apart from saying how deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply regrettable they are is not an option under the Rome Statute.

Your link doesn't say anything about the atrocity at Bala Baluk. In fact it's dated 17 February 2009 long before it even happened.

That's because Carp and I haven't been talking about only this specific thread, but the overall trend of your posts on this kind of subject that largely ignores the role the Taliban play in civilian atrocities ... if you wish to address this incident specifically: where is your indignation in the same link you provided of the Taliban beheading villagers, for example -- and where are your demands they be prosecuted for such crimes?

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"air-strikes were responsible for the largest percentage, some 64 per cent, of civilian deaths... last year."

Well, you edited-out an important part of that citation -- to fill in your ellipses: "of civilian deaths attributed to pro-government forces" ... meaning that *of the casualties attributed to pro-government forces*, 64% can be attributed to air strikes. This does nothing to refute the fact that 55% of ALL civilian casualties are attributed to anti-government forces ...

Which means your assertion that only one side is to blame for such casualties is baseless ...

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I'm not entirely clear on why you have a problem when I say it.

I don't have a problem when you say this. I do take issue that you seem to *only* say it about one side.

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These are very grave crimes - repeating them time and time again and doing nothing about it apart from saying how deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply regrettable they are is not an option under the Rome Statute.

And this applies to all sides. Where are even regrets from the Taliban? And where are your posts *demanding* they be held to account?

It's not that I support one side or the other necessarily -- it's my wondering why you choose to selectively condemn alleged atrocities of just one side while not holding to account the deaths caused by the other side, which represent a majority of the casualties ...

where is your indignation in the same link you provided of the Taliban beheading villagers, for example

Any such incidents are a matter for the Afghan authorities. The ICC can't intervene unless presented with evidence that those authorities are in some way shielding the perpetrators which I don't think anyone is suggesting.

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you edited-out an important part of that citation

No, I edited out an unimportant part of the citation. The point I'm making is that in your link the UN called for action and accountability to prevent civilian deaths and that nothing was done in that respect with regard to the atrocity at Bala Baluk.

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Which means your assertion that only one side is to blame for such casualties is baseless

No, my comment related to the incident at Bala Baluk in relation to which my comment is amply justified. Unlike alleged Taleban actions which are primarily domestic crimes US actions are international ones and fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC.

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Where are even regrets from the Taliban? And where are your posts *demanding* they be held to account?

Actually I called for all suspects to be arrested as I've already pointed out. Beyond that I wouldn't seek to interfere in the internal affairs of a State doing everything in it's power to bring suspects to account. I would interfere, however, when I sense institutional complicity and acquiescence in the murder of innocent civilians.

If we expect to actually win (this unwinnable ground war)it's going to be by "Winning the Hearts & Minds"IOW even if it's purely propaganda, we need the VILLAGERSTo VIEW US AS "THE GOOD GUYS" in order for them to prefer our presence to that of the Taliban (who're beheading them)

BOMBING the Villagers 'in order to save them'didn't work in Viet Nam ...... and guess wot....?

_________________________."...or am I a butterfly dreaming she's a woman?"

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